Program May 1-5, 2016: Embracing Freedom
Who were the men and women who liberated us more than 70 years ago? During The Faces of Margraten tribute you will finally have the opportunity to meet our liberators when the personal photos of about 4,060 of them are on display next to their graves and the Walls of the Missing. The photos show us the faces of the people who became victims of war: the often young soldiers and their loved-ones. We honor them during this tribute and we will reflect upon our freedom in our contemporary world.
Opening hours
From May 1-May 5 the cemetery is open daily from 9.00-17.00 hours. Volunteers are present at the site during opening hours to answer any questions that you may have about the cemetery and the tribute. Our volunteers wear read jackets and will also hand out the program booklets to you. Do you have a question about a soldier or about doing research? Then come visit the information desk near the Visitor's Centre. Our volunteers will be able to answer your questions right away or will make sure to get back to you with the answers after the tribute. We are at your service!
National Commemoration of the War Dead
On May 4 the cemetery will also open in the evening hours. On this day the Netherlands commemorate their war dead. At 20.00 hours the country will observe 2 minutes of silence. At the cemetery, these minutes of silence will be followed by the national anthems of the Netherlands and the United States. Children will help to fold the flags of both countries afterwards.
Embracing freedom
Visiting the cemetery reaffirms visitors' awareness that a war like this should never happen again. This year we ask visitors to embrace freedom. Who do you think of when you think of freedom? In other words: with whom would you like to share your freedom? This site learns us after all that people do not simply share their freedoms with only people they know. We invite vistors to embrace freedom visibly and personally. You can embrace a friend or a loved-one, but also a stranger! We hope that all visitors will join us and capture this moment in a photo. Moreover, you can leave your thoughts on freedom in a guestbook. The photos and statements will be turned into a beautiful publication. Join us in embracing our freedom at the cemetery. Look for the logo at the cemetery!
Impression of the tribute
Would you like to get an impression of The Faces of Margraten tribute? We have gathered some photos of last year's tribute for you. Take a look at the phot album here (click).
Soldiers' relatives
If you are a relative of any of the soldiers buried in or memorialized at the cemetery and are planning to visit The Faces of Margraten tribute, please notify the cemetery of your visit in advance. They will be happy to welcome and assist you.
Transport
The cemetery is situated along the main road N278. The cemetery's address is Amerikaanse Begraafplaats 1, Margraten. You can plan your travel to the cemetery for example through Google Maps. A bus service stops regularly in front of the cemetery's entrance gates. For more information on the bus services, please see: www.9292.nl.
Latest news
In the meantime, you can stay up-to-date on the latest knews about the project through our social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
